


Knight and Day

by Eternal_Love_Song



Category: Original Work
Genre: Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, Fantasy, Gen, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eternal_Love_Song/pseuds/Eternal_Love_Song
Summary: After years of isolation, Princess Kaori Rifuto emerges into the public to choose a knight.
Relationships: Original Female Character & Original Male Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Knight and Day

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Blue Haired Hero](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21174425) by [CJtheCreator13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJtheCreator13/pseuds/CJtheCreator13). 
  * Inspired by [A Slightly Bitter Love Story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19450927) by [HeavenlyDIO](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeavenlyDIO/pseuds/HeavenlyDIO). 



"Today is the day. Are you ready?"

Sora joined the line of his fellow knight trainees as they looked at the guard captain. They answered in the affirmative, messy and out of sync, startling a laugh out of him.

"Let's give that another try, shall we? Are you ready?"

The answers echoed together this time. They were all standing in a line, back straight and head high, and Sora felt a small tinge of nervousness and excitement. Today was the day his training would be over. He would finally be a full fledged knight. It was the one thing he had wanted since he was a child and the fact that he was so close to being able to claim it left him almost giddy with excitement.

"We'll be heading into the palace for the ceremony," The captain continued. "I've already told you all what to expect, so just be ready."

The conversation began as soon as he dismissed them. There were only a few hours until the ceremony and everyone seemed to be just as excited as he was, if the talk was anything to go by. Questions about the king and what the throne room would look like. Ideas about where they would be assigned and how long before they would get to see real action. Inevitably, the gossip turned to the royal family and the topic of the princess came up.

There were many rumors about the princess of Envidia. Sora had heard them in the capital when he was young, in the barracks when he'd done his training as a knight, and he heard them now as he walked through the palace halls.

_"Her hair was snow white, a sign of her purity."_

_"She has the eyes of a blood moon, a demon lies within."_

_"The girl is cursed." "Touched by the gods." "She'll damn us!" "A savior!"_

In some ways, it was to be expected. The King had kept his daughter cloistered for many years. No one knew why she had been hidden away and so few had seen her that rumors were inevitable. It was only in the last few years that she had begun to bring herself out into the public light, and even that was rare, with the princess so heavily veiled that no one could make her out. 

The rumors quickly ran together for Sora. The accounts were too conflicting to put much stock into. Some of the men he trained beside swore that she had eyes so dark looking into them could swallow your soul and others claimed she needed the blood of the innocent to prolong her youth. He wouldn't believe just anything he heard floating around the palace. He didn't believe the princess to be cursed or blessed in any way, and he didn't bother with speculation over her long isolation. It wasn't his place to question the king.

Today, of course, he would have the chance to see if some of those rumors were true. The waiting was nearly torture now that he was so close to the finish line. 

It was a bit before noon that they were making their way to the throne room for the ceremony. The throne room was large and opulent, as he expected it to be. He was unsurprised by the sight of the king on his throne. The sight was both familiar and not. He'd seen the king before, of course, most people had. He wasn't used to seeing him like this. Relatively up close, in his seat of power, and giving them his full attention. 

It was a little overwhelming. The other knights beside him seemed in awe of the scene. Sora kept his composure well, followed his captain's snapped orders in a timely manner, and kept his focus squarely where it belonged. He hadn't forgotten his purpose, as the others had seemed to. This was a knighting ceremony, but it didn't mean that failure here wouldn't result in being dismissed from the royal guard.

"You there." He looked up when the tip of a scepter touched his chin and it took all his restraint not to let his surprise show. Though he'd only seen the king when his company had entered, at some point during their display the princess had arrived and stood before him now. She was more beautiful than he had expected and twice as ethereal. She was pale as a moon beam, with white hair braided over her shoulder and the softest pink eyes peering at him from behind a pair of round spectacles. She was dressed in a gown of the softest blue, the veil that was rumored to obscure her face pulled back to give him a clear view of her.

At once, he could understand how those who had seen her thought her cursed or blessed. 'Eyes of a blood moon,' he recalled someone whispering. He believed that well suited her. If he was told that she was touched by a moon goddess, that she was an avatar on earth, he might believe it.

"Your name, soldier?" she asked of him. 

"Cameron Sorakaze," he answered her.

"Sorakaze," she repeated slowly. "I find you acceptable. From this day forward," she paused to raise her scepter, touching it to both of his shoulders. "I shall take you as my personal knight."

His eyes widened and he bowed his head hastily. "I'm honored, princess."

"You should be," she told him. She raised her voice as she spoke, her royal bearing on full display as she effortlessly projected her voice. "You are no longer merely a man, Sorakaze. No longer the simple scion of a noble house. From this day forward you are to be my sword and my shield. My hand and my fist. My blood and my tears are now yours to shed. You shall have no name other than what I give you and no will that is not also my own." She paused to meet his eyes, holding his gaze with her own stern one. "Do you accept this honor, Sorakaze?"

"Yes," he answered without hesitation.

"Do you acknowledge and accept the burden of this position, personal knight to the princess of Envidia?"

"I do."

"Do you pledge your life and loyalty to me, Princess Kaori Rifuto?"

"I swear my life and loyalty to you, Princess Kaori Rifuto."

She smiled at him, lifting her scepter from where it lingered near his shoulders. "Then rise, my knight. Rise and be welcomed at my side."

He did so, but he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Even at his full height she stood above him, both in her bearing and presence. It was fitting, he thought, that she should so outshine him.

"I look forward to serving you," he told her. 

* * *

Sora's life fell into a new routine. Where he had already departed his family home to reside in the knight quarters while he was undergoing his training, his new station was cause for another move. He now had a room in the upper floors of the castle, near to his new charge. 

There was a servant sent to his rooms to wake him with the sun rise, where he was duty bound to be dressed in time to take his station at the princess's side should she desire it. The princess, having been kept in such seclusion for most of her life, had few friends and many enemies. 

On the first day with his new title he was taken before the king. The man looked nothing like his daughter. The king had dark hair and eyes, a more sturdy build, and harsh expressions. The princess was soft and lithe enough that he could see why there were rumors of her being a changeling, a witch, a creature that lived on blood and air alone. It was like seeing light and dark. He had no knowledge of the queen, but had to assume her resemblance to lie with her.

"You'll take care of my daughter, won't you?" It was a command disguised as a question. 

Sora responded by bowing and keeping his eyes low to the ground as he answered. "With my life, your majesty."

The king nodded. "She's been very sheltered. She'll need someone to be twice as vigilant as a normal guard. Giving your upbringing, that shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?"

"No, your majesty. I'll take good care of her."

Sora could practically feel the king's heavy gaze weighing down on him. "You'll keep me informed of any matters of import, yes?"

"Of course, your majesty."

"Good. You do your name proud, Sir Sorakaze."

"Thank you, your majesty."

The castle, while safe in theory, was a maze of faces and fellows that the princess would have had little contact with. An enemy and an admirer posed the same amount of threat to one that was unused to dealing with either, and Sora's presence at her side when she chose to leave her rooms was paramount. 

The small retainers that had been allowed loyal service to the princess; a few handmaidens, guards, and a taster for her food, was a group that Sora became quickly familiar with. Among these few, the princess was known to be cold and high handed. She treated her small staff as statues, objects that she mostly ignored except when necessary to do otherwise. Sora wrote this off as a consequence of her lonely upbringing and vowed not to think ill of the princess too swiftly. He was her knight, after all, his feelings could not get in the way of his duty. 

It would be nice, though, if he could befriend her.

Thus far, the princess had treated him as something between a servant and a statue. She ordered him to do menial task such as fetching objects she could rightly retrieve herself and ignored his presence whenever it suited her to do so. She allowed him to share meals with her but rarely spoke unless she was spoken to. Naturally, he made every effort to do so once he realized she would always respond to him. Her tongue was sharp and dismissive, she was passionate and fierce, and despite being in her service for a full lunar cycle now, Sora scarcely felt he knew her any better.

"Sorakaze!" He jumped to attention, turning his gaze away from the window and toward his charge. She was sitting at a desk in her study, her harsh gaze fixed on him as she gripped a parchment too tightly in her hands. "You don't intend to take time off so quickly into your service here, do you?"

"N-no?" he answered her in confusion. "Why do you ask?"

The whole of her seemed to soften with his answer. Her glare lessened, her shoulders relaxed, and she loosened her grip on the offending letter in her hand. The moment didn't linger. The princess was quick to turn away from him, flipping her braid over her shoulder and hiding her expression from him. That this had been a moment of vulnerability for her would have flown right over his head if not for how she tried to cover it. Not that he understood the cause of it.

"There is a festival near your homestead, is that not so?"

"There is," he answered slowly. "A harvest festival. There are treats made from the most abundant crops of the year, drinking and dancing until dawn, a bonfire in the center of the town."

"It sounds..." She paused, looked back at the missive in her hand. "Why did you not plan to return?"

"You said it yourself, princess. I have only just entered my service here, it would be absurd to request time off at this stage."

The princess met his eyes with a fierce look as she proclaimed, "I wish to attend."

"W-what?"

"You heard me!"

"I... sorry, I'm just... It's surprising." He couldn't help fidgeting under her scrutiny. Her gaze was always so sharp and steely, he felt as if she lanced him through when she gazed at him that way. "You've never made public appearances before."

"I think it's time that I change that."

"I'd be happy to show you around the festival if you desire, princess." He went to her, kneeling at her side and bowing his head. "I will protect you to the best of my abilities."

He was surprised when she placed a hand upon his head. She was smiling when he looked up at her. It felt odd to be on the receiving end of her smile, rare as they were. "You are my personal knight and no others, is that right?"

"Of course."

"Then you shall not tell my father of this."

Her words hit him like a blow to the head. "What?"

"That should not be a problem for you, right? You are sworn to me and not my father, after all. You alone are all that I need."

He hesitated before bowing his head again. "As you wish, princess."

"You'll address me by name when we are among the crowd," she told him. "Calling out my title every five minutes is sure to call attention, don't you think?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

That said she handed him the now wrinkled letter. "Your family is asking after you."

"Did... did you read a letter meant for me?" he asked.

She was immediately haughty again, huffing as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It is my right as your princess. You have no secrets from me, Sorakaze, nor should you. Your life is mine, is it not?"

"Well, yeah, but... you could have just asked."

"Are you talking back to me? I outrank you several times over and don't you ever forget it."

Sora thought that he caught a tinge of pinkness to her cheeks as she turned away from him, but he couldn't be sure. He decided not to pursue the thought as he turned his attention to the letter sent by his family.

* * *

Kaori had never been to a festival before. Her upbringing had put her in a position to have more knowledge than experience of such things. Other than a few ceremonies, such as the one that lead her to choosing Sorakaze as her knight, she had been denied much of the revelry that the common people experienced. If this trip proved as fruitful as she hoped, this could be the first of many such ventures to fix that.

The mystery of her appearance served her well. She looked very little like the king, so those that expected they would know her upon sight were vastly mistaken and rumors claimed all sorts of things about her. Outside of royal garb no one had reason to suspect her of being anymore than a wealthy scion just as Sorakaze. Still, she caught many eyes. Few people were ever as pale as her, as colorless and washed out, or as beautiful. Even her companion looked as if he'd been cut out of the sky itself, with hair and eyes so bright blue that she sometimes expected to see the sun when she looked at him.

Sometimes she did. Not that she would ever tell him that his smile was the brightest thing in a room, of course.

It wasn't like it was personal, she just wasn't used to people smiling at her. People stared, servants averted their eyes when they could, guards remained stony and serious. Rarely had anyone smiled at her. No one did it as often as Sorakaze.

Wandering around the excitement of this festival was no different in that regard. There were smiles all around her, but none of them were for her. None save his. It was better that way, of course, that no one saw fit to pay attention to her before she was ready. She knew that. It didn't matter if it caused something in her to ache. It didn't matter if it soured her own smiles. She was more clever than to spoil her own plans just for... just for what, anyway?

"Kaori." 

It startled her a moment to hear Sorakaze say her name. She was used to being addressed by her title and she could count on one hand the number of people that had ever addressed her so personally. There was something warm that spread through her and she was smiling when she turned toward him. "Yes, what is it?"

He was bearing a large smile as he held out a small bag to her. "Try these. They're candies made from the fall berries. The darker ones are sweeter and the light ones are a little bitter."

She reached inside, picking out a few of the small, misshapen candies. She couldn't say much for the presentation, but they did have a compelling scent. She looked back at her knight's bright smile before deciding to taste one of the darker ones. It was softer than she had expected and the sweetness spread through her mouth rather quickly. "It's good!"

Sorakaze laughed. "I hoped you would like them. My youngest sister loves them. She's always asking her to buy her some."

She kept her gaze on the candies in her hand as she spoke. "Your family, tell me about them."

He looked to the sky as he thought, speaking slowly. "Well, I have three sisters and two moms, so I was raised surrounded by women. My mother was a warrior in her youth, but she fell in love with a blacksmith after my father died. My older sister and I used to train together, but I was the only one that wanted to be a knight. She prefers travel and adventure."

"They wanted to see you today. How long have you been away from them?"

"Since I started my training," he answered. "Training took up a lot of time and while the castle is kinda close, I couldn't really go home and back in a day." He gave her a sheepish smile as he added, "We don't get many days off, you know."

"Well of course not," she replied immediately. "Dedication is one of the most important traits for a proper knight. Your training would need to test that as much as your skill anywhere else." She popped one of the lighter colored candies in her mouth, surprised to find that she enjoyed the tart flavor.

"You're right. I didn't mean to complain."

She looked up as she asked, "Do you miss them?"

"Of course I do. They're my family."

The feeling was unfamiliar to her. She wondered, if she were ever apart from her father, if she would miss him. She couldn't imagine feeling that way, but she'd never been apart from him in any meaningful way. "Did you want to see them?"

"I couldn't ask you to--"

She cut him off with a glare. "Answer the question!"

"Y-yeah! Yes! I really miss them. I'd love to see them."

She poured the remaining candies back into the small pouch. "Alright then. Let's go see them."

"What?"

She frowned at him. "You keep making me repeat myself, Sorakaze. It's a habit you need to break."

"Sorry, sorry. I just... really?"

She glared again.

"O-okay! I'd... be happy to introduce you."

"Good. And get two more bags of those candies." He tilted his hand in confusion and she added, "You've been gone for this long and you plan on turning up empty handed?"

He laughed. The sound inspired her to return his smile. "You're right again, Pr-- Kaori. I'll be right back."

He marched back over to the merchant to claim two more bags of candy as well as a few other things. She wondered what his salary was and vowed to look into it when they returned to the castle. It wouldn't due to have blind spots where her knight was concerned.

* * *

Sora had the princess try a handful of other sweets while they were on the way to his home. Most of which she enjoyed, but a few made her look at him as if he was crazy.

"How can you enjoy this?" she asked as she pushed a stuffed pastry back into his hands. He laughed at the face she made. She was really cute when she let her guard down this way. In the palace she held herself so rigidly. This was a nice change of pace.

"Not everyone has the same taste," he told her.

"Yes, some have horrendous taste, it seems." 

He finished off the pastry for her before handing her a drink. "Try this next."

"What's this one?"

"Spirits, but chilled and sweet. If you like it, then you can test out the drinking and dancing until dawn that I promised."

She blinked at him in surprise before turning her attention to the cup and peering into it. After a few moments of inspection, she pressed it to her lips. She jumped at the taste before taking a slightly larger sip. "It does not taste as I expected it might."

"Is that a good thing?"

"You have not failed me yet," she told him.

His smile widened. He was really glad that she seemed to be enjoying herself. He hoped that would continue throughout the night.

To his surprise, she chose to wait outside while he visited his family. He was a little hesitant to leave her alone, but eventually she ordered him away and he couldn't really ignore her orders, so he left her in the relative seclusion of his family's gardens. He kept his visit short, since he was supposed to be watching the princess and felt bad leaving her alone. It was nice, though, to see them again after so long. 

The princess was waiting for him by the garden path when returned, finishing off the drink he'd given her. "Are you satisfied?" she asked him.

"Yeah. I am."

"Good. Now then." She turned to him, brushing non existent dust from her dress. "You promised me dancing."

"I did."

He led her back toward the center of the festival where the bonfire was. It was dark by the time they arrived, the fire lighting the area beautifully. He took a few minutes to talk the princess through the steps of the dance and he was happy to see that she picked it up quickly. They shared another drink between them and the princess smiled at him as she accepted a dance from another. It was the most fun he'd had in a while and he was happy that she seemed to be enjoying herself too.

"Don't wear yourself out too much, Kaori. We have a long journey back," he told her.

"I trust you to handle it," she told him breezily, dancing past him as she went from one hand to the next. He felt something warm rise up in him at her words. It felt good to be so relied on. Trusted. His eyes followed her as she moved around the bonfire, gathering admirers quickly and smiling more than he had ever seen her do before. He waited for the music to change before stepping in to claim her once again.

"We should go," he said softly."

"One last dance?" she asked. "Surely you will indulge me in that, Sorakaze?"

He couldn't say no to her. He let this dance go on for longer than the others, enjoying the moment just as much as she seemed to.

She demanded one last drink before they departed and the chilled spirits were a good cooldown from all the exertion of the dance. "This was lovely, Sorakaze. I'm glad that I was able to come."

"As long as you enjoyed yourself," he told her.

"I did. I never thought that I'd get to do things like this." She stared deeply into her glass and Sora turned to watch her more closely. "When I was a child, I was very sickly. With my coloring, my father thought I was likely to die and didn't want the people to get attached to me. I didn't die, though. Instead, something awakened in me. Something strong and wild. Powerful. Father thought I might not be able to control it and was afraid that I would destroy the kingdom. I didn't though. I proved that I was more than that."

"What was it?" he asked softly. "What... awakened?"

She met his eyes as she continued. He would almost say they glowed in the low lighting and he was too captivated to look away from her. "My mother was a witch. Such things were very rare back then and she'd kept it hidden until she used her gift to save the king's life and win his love. My mother wasn't as dangerous as I. She didn't... look like I do. My birth was what killed her, I think, and killed something in my father." She tipped her cup to her lips, finishing off the rest of it in one long gulp. "You've heard the rumors, right? That I'm cursed and blessed and everything in between?"

He nodded, not sure what to say to this but feeling something knot tightly in his chest.

"It's true. I am those things. If someone were to attack me, I could stop them in their tracks. I could crush them. The King, my father, he... fears me... But I'm too old now to be hidden, so he thinks I should be protected instead. Watched." She placed a hand on his arm. "I wanted to know that you were on my side and not his. I won't be hidden any longer." She smiled, bitter and broken. "Does that scare you, Sorakaze?"

He shook his head, looking away from her. He kept his gaze focused on his hands and took a deep breath to make the knot in his chest untie itself. His voice was very quiet when he said, "Me too. I have... something inside me, too."

She reached out to take his face in her hands, lifting his head and forcing him to look at her. "Tell me."

"It's like you said. Something powerful... dangerous." The rest of the words seemed to stick in his throat. Abilities like his... they weren't common. Small things, no one feared those as they used to. But his mother had told him what it was like to be viewed as a witch, what people whispered when you had too much power and they didn't know what you would do with it. _'Cursed.' 'Blessed.'_

She had trusted him though. It was only right to return the favor. Without looking away from her, he caused the air to stir, causing the breeze to dance around her in a way that was unmistakable to nature.

Her eyes widened on him. Her hands trembled and tightened where they were on his face. "I've never... I didn't think I'd meet others without having to look for them."

He reached up to place a hand on hers where it still pressed against his cheek. "You're not alone, Kaori. Not anymore."

Her eyes shined in the moonlight and she turned away from him before the building tears spilled. "Take me home, Sorakaze."

He hesitated a moment, but he decided propriety was less important than comforting her. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "I'll take care of you, princess. Don't worry."


End file.
